Big Lagoon school board interviewing candidates for superintendent

Interviews to fill the vacant superintendent seat for the Big Lagoon Union School District, which was headed up by an interim chief for most of last year, begin today.

The district is comprised of a single K-8 school in Trinidad serving 52 students. Humboldt County Office of Education Coordinator of Personnel Services Debra Kingshill said the school board began advertising locally and statewide for the position in mid-March and will begin interviewing an undisclosed number of prospective candidates today. Kingshill added that the board has options on what to do after interviewing candidates, ranging from deciding they don't like anyone to offering someone a job.

"What we recommend is having the board do a site visit where the candidate currently works," Kingshill said. "They would do a tour of the school, set up various interviews and talk to people in administration about the candidate to get further background information. They don't have to do this, but it's one of many options."

Peninsula Union School District Superintendent/Principal Kim Blanc, a former superintendent for the Big Lagoon district, said interim chiefs were hired to stand in for this year at Big Lagoon.

"Alan Lapooice was the superintendent hired to replace me and he began July 1, 2012, but I don't know any of the details of why he's not there anymore," Blanc said. "Prior to hiring Alan, there were only three superintendents – including myself – at Big Lagoon since it opened. I think a lot of districts tend to be like that where the staff has longevity."

Blanc added that unforeseeable issues will cause a school board to find someone to fill the vacancy for the short term.

"Sometimes it happens where a superintendent leaves and there isn't enough time to fill the vacancy before school starts and go through the process," Blanc said. "This is when an interim, or number of interims, have to be brought in."

Kingshill said the hope is to find someone to fill the spot with the beginning of the fiscal year.

"Superintendents work year-round, so typically we hope the new one can start on July 1 with the beginning of the new fiscal year and before school starts around late August/early September," Kingshill said.